Question

Which structures are derived from the ectoderm?

Options

• Placenta, amnion, and umbilical cord

• Epidermis, nervous system, and sense organs

• Muscles, bones, blood, heart, and kidneys

• Lining of digestive tract, respiratory tract, liver, and pancreas

Answer 1

The ectoderm, or outer primary germ layer, gives rise to the epidermis of the skin, the entire nervous system, and the sense organs. These structures all develop from the outermost layer of the trilaminar embryonic disc.